Most modern automotive vehicles utilize trim panels to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the passenger compartment of the automotive vehicle. The trim panels are typically attached to a support structure of the automotive vehicle by a number of fasteners or clips strategically located on the trim panel. For ascetic reasons the clips are attached to an outer surface of the trim panel so that they are not visible to the occupants of tie passenger compartment.
The clips typically have an upper section for attaching to an opening in the support structure and a lower section for attaching to the trim panel. In order to increase the production efficiency during the assembly of the automotive vehicle, the trim panels have the lower section of the clips attached to the trim panel in advance of the installation of the trim panel to the support structure. The trim panels, with the clips previously installed, are usually stored in bulk on a shelf or other storage unit adjacent to the point in the assembly line where the trim panels are installed to tie automotive vehicle. By previously attaching the clips to the trim panels the installation time required to attach the trim panel is significantly reduced as all that is required is to select a trim panel from the storage unit and attach the trim panel to a support structure of the automotive vehicle via the clips.
However, problems arise when the clips detach from the trim panel prior to the installation of the trim panel to the support structure of the automotive vehicle. When the trim panel is removed from the storage unit the clips are liable to detach from the trim panel Production efficiency is reduced when a worker is required to locate any dislodged clips and reattach the clips to the trim panel prior to the installation of the trim panel to the support member.
It is known in the art to provide the trim panels with a retention feature to retain the clips to the trim panel prior to the installment of the trim panel to the support member. One such prior art retention feature is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. A trim panel for an automotive vehicle is generally illustrated at 10. The trim panel 10 includes an inner surface 12 which faces the passenger compartment of the automotive vehicle, and an outer surface 14 facing the support structure of the automotive vehicle. The support structure includes an opening which is dimensioned to receive the upper section of the clip. The support structure is often the frame of the automotive vehicle or an additional panel or structure which is attached to the frame.
The trim panel 10 includes at least one housing 16 referred to as a “doghouse” attached to the outer surface 14. An attachment wall 18 of the housing 16 is provided to receive a clip 20. The clip 20 includes an upper section 22 for attaching to a corresponding opening located on the support structure, and a lower section for attaching to the attachment wall 18 of the trim panel 10.
The lower section 24 of the clip 20 includes a first flange 26 located at an end of the lower section 24. A second flange 28 spaced apart from the first flange 26 is also positioned on the lower section 24 of the clip 20. The first flange 26 is typically formed of a rigid material of sufficient thickness so as to restrain the position of the clip 20 in response to a force in the direction of arrow A. The second flange 28 along with a supplemental flange 30 are typically composed of a thin, flexible material which acts as a skirt or seal to prevent moisture or other contaminants from contacting the trim panel by sealing the opening of the support structure.
The attachment wall 18 includes a keyed aperture 30 for receiving a portion of the lower section 24 of the clip 20 between the first flange 26 and the second flange 28. As stated above, the clip 20 is restrained within the housing 16 in the direction of arrow A due to the contact between the first flange 26 and a bottom surface 34 of the attachment wall 18.
The clip 20 includes a retention feature disposed on a top side 36 of the attachment wall 18, in the form of a pair of retention bumps 38. The clip 20 is retained within the keyed aperture 32, in response to a force acting on the clip in the direction of arrow B, due to the contact between the second flange 28 and the pair of retention bumps 38.
However, as the second flange 28 is formed of a thin, flexible material the second flange 28 is susceptible to deflecting upon contact with the retention bumps 38. This allows the clip 20 to be dislodged from the keyed aperture 32 when a force in the direction of arrow B is applied to the clip 20. As stated above, the dislodgement of the clip 20 from the keyed aperture 32 results in a decrease in production efficiency as a worker is required to locate, retrieve, and reattach the clip 20 to the housing 16 before installing the trim panel 10 to the support member.
As such, the currently used retention bumps are unreliable and offer poor clip-retaining abilities. Thus, there exists a need for an improved trim panel having a reliable clip retention feature to retain a clip to the trim panel prior to the insertion of the trim panel to a support structure.